Yosemite - The Merced Grove, Liberty Cap, and The Merced River

Not a Giant Sequoia. Merced Grove.



Giant Sequoia. Merced Grove.



Liberty Cap.



Parking Fail. I pulled up next to this car thinking I'd park there but then saw the bear damage. Took a few pictures and parked at the other end of the lot. Guess these guys forgot to read the sign they parked in front of.





The destination: Liberty Cap. From the top of Nevada Falls.



The John Muir Trail carved through the granite below Nevada Falls.



Little Yosemite from Liberty Cap's Northeast Gully.



The forgotten side of Half Dome.



Banzai Tree at the very top of Liberty Cap.



More Half Dome and Bonzai Tree.





Looking back towards Yosemite Valley and Happy Isles from Liberty Cap.



The bridge above Nevada Falls from the top of Liberty Cap.



Half Dome, Mount Broderick, and Liberty Cap from the Mist Trail.



The awesome Vernal Falls.





To that night's campsite on the Wild & Scenic Merced River.

Recovery - Anderson Valley and Russian Gulch

I met Kristen in Ukiah and we spent a good 24 hours in Mendocino County. Went for a bike and hike in Russian Gulch State Park, tasted some Sharffen Berger sparkling wine in Anderson Valley, and finished the day off eating corned beef and cabbage at the annual Anderson Valley Senior Center fundraiser in Boonville. Good times.



A bike rack in the backcountry. How cool/weird is that?













Redwood Trillium.